Great Voyages of Discovery

Meriel Hartling CSE 684

Sailor's navigational compass (National Library of Canada)

A spirit of adventure swept across Europe in the 1400s.

Explorers like Columbus and Magellan set to find

new sea-routes, lands and riches.

What motivated these voyages?

Columbus on Santa Maria by Emanuel Leutze 1855

How did they impact on both Europe and the peoples of the “new” worlds they unveiled?

In this lesson, we will consider...

● Motivations behind voyages● Means which made the journeys possible● Spanish and Portuguese explorations of

Da Gama, Columbus and Magellan● Spanish conquest of the new world ● Competition between European powers

Motivation behind voyages

Traditional Silk and Spice Routes to Aisa

Italian, Egyptian and Turkish control of trade routes to Asia meant new direct sea-routes were desired. The wish to spread Christianity also played a role.

Update

●Motivations behind voyages●Means which made the journeys possible●Spanish and Portuguese explorations ofDa Gama, Columbus and Magellan

●Spanish conquest of the new world ●Competition between European powers

Means behind the voyages

Astrolabe and compass

New technological developments such as the astrolabe (for measuring star positions), the

magnetic compass and developments in ship building paved the way for ocean voyages.

Update

●Motivations behind voyages●Means which made the journeys possible●Spanish and Portuguese explorations ofDa Gama, Columbus and Magellan

●Spanish conquest of the new world ●Competition between European powers

Portuguese and Spanish Explorations

● In 1498 Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa and landed on the West Coast of India. Thus a direct sea route to Aisa was found.

In 1492, an Italian sailor, Christopher Columbus sailed west. It was well known amongst seafarers that the Earth was round and so Columbus hoped to find a direct route to Asia. Instead he landed in

the what we now call the Bahamas.

In 1519, a Portuguese sailor named Ferdinand Magellan accidentally discovered South America while trying to sail around Africa. He continued

West and although was killed during the voyage, his crew became the first to circumnavigate (go

all the way round) the globe.

●Motivations behind voyages●Means which made the journeys possible●Spanish and Portuguese explorations ofDa Gama, Columbus and Magellan

●Spanish conquest of the new world ●Competition between European powers

Update

In the 1500s the Aztec empire in Mexico and

the Inca empire in Peru were at their zenith.

The Spanish saw these as great sources of gold

and silver. With the added motivation of religious conversion

they set out to conquer.

The remains of the Inca city of Machu Pichu in Peru

Conquest of the New World

Why did the Spanish conquests succeed?

● Guns: Gunpowder had not reached the Americas.

● Cavalry: The Americans had no horses and had no knowledge of riding an animal.

● Steel weapons: The American weapons (usually made of obsidian) were no match for Spanish steel.

● Germs: diseases like smallpox wiped out huge numbers of Americans who had no previous exposure to these European diseases.

Update

● Motivations behind voyages● Means which made the journeys possible● Spanish and Portuguese explorations of

Da Gama, Columbus and Magellan● Spanish conquest of the new world ● Competition between European powers

Competition for treasure

England and France soon joined the race to carve up the new world. Competition for the wealth led Spain in 1588 to send an enormous fleet (the armada) to attack England. But faster English ships and better guns defeated the Spanish.The Spanish Armada (English School 1600)

Update

● Motivations behind voyages● Means which made the journeys possible● Spanish and Portuguese explorations of

Da Gama, Columbus and Magellan● Spanish conquest of the new world ● Competition between European powers

Conclusion: A new European Worldview.

The voyages of discovery changed the way Europeans saw the world. They learned that the Americas were a separate landmass from Asia. Many saw this as a source of great wealth and set up trade networks and began to establish

colonies. This would have wide ranging consequences.

Summary● The voyages were motivated by a need for new routes to Asia.

● They were made possible by new technology: compass, astrolabe, better ships.

● Da Gama discovered a new route to India by sailing around Africa.

● Columbus discovered a route to the Caribbean islands unveiling the continent of North America.

● Magellan discovered South America before his crew rounded the globe.

● Better technology and resistance to disease helped the Spanish conquer the new world.

● Greed for treasure led to competition between European powers like Spain and England.

References

● Text based on World History by Burskein and Shek

● All graphics come from Wikipedia.